NBA 2013?14 Season

Neki

Molten Core Raider
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Preseason starts this week

Crown the Heat?

Jordan: I could have taken LeBron - ESPN

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Michael Jordan believes he could have beaten LeBron James in a game of one-on-one when he was in his prime.

He's not sure about Kobe Bryant.

In a video promoting the "NBA 2K14" video game released Tuesday, Jordan said there's a long list of players he would've liked to have played one-on-one -- Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Julius Erving, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Bryant and James, who is on the cover of this year's game.

"I don't think I would lose," Jordan, 50, says in the video, before smiling and adding, "other than to Kobe Bryant, because he steals all of my moves."

James, when informed of Jordan's comments, acknowledged he has thought about the hypothetical matchup.

"MJ said that? I've thought about the matchup, but no one will ever see it and it's not going to happen," James said Tuesday after the Miami Heat's training camp practice in Nassau, Bahamas. "It's good for people to talk about."

Someone who knows Bryant, Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni, weighed in on Jordan after practice Tuesday.

"Obviously he's one of the great, if not the greatest players," he said. "It would be great to watch them play, that's for sure, but I have no clue (who would win)."

This year marks the first time on the cover for James, a four-time league MVP who has led the Heat to back-to-back NBA championships.

When reminded that he is on the cover of the game, James referred to Jordan's comments as good for business.

"Where he'd say this at? Oh, it was for my game? It's good promotion then," James said.

Jordan, a six-time NBA champion and five-time MVP, also said that the game was much more physical when he played than it is today.

"You go in with the understanding of, 'I'm going to get hit. I'm going to pay the price,'" he said. "But that's part of the game. I'm not going to be afraid to go inside. Those are the types of things that these kids don't even have a clue of how we had to grow up and how we had to play."
 

Alex

Still a Music Elitist
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Pumped to have NBA back soon. Looking forward to what the Warriors can accomplish with another Curry and Dre.
 

Neki

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Russell Westbrook of Oklahoma City Thunder will miss first 4-6 weeks of regular season due to arthroscopic knee surgery - ESPN

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook will miss the first four to six weeks of the regular season after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery Tuesday.

The team announced that Westbrook needed the operation after experiencing swelling in his right knee, which he injured during last season's playoffs.

The three-time All-Star had surgery on the same knee in May to repair a torn lateral meniscus.

Thunder general manager Sam Presti said that the swelling in Westbrook's knee was caused by a loose stitch from the previous surgery and that Westbrook's meniscus has healed properly.

Presti commended Westbrook for his hard work in rehabbing from the original surgery but acknowledged that an additional operation provided the 24-year-old with "the best chance" to return at 100 percent.

"His performance levels have been tremendous, and he's looked great in the part of practice that he's been cleared to go through," Presti said. "So we were very, very encouraged in that respect. But when the swelling wasn't subsiding, we made the decision to have the knee evaluated."

Westbrook said last week that once he's fully recovered, he doesn't plan on changing anything about his playing style, including his proclivity for driving to the basket.

Westbrook averaged 23.2 points and 7.4 assists last season for the Thunder, who finished with the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs. He was injured in Game 2 of a first-round series against the Houston Rockets, a matchup won by Oklahoma City in six games
 

Lasch

Trakanon Raider
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A month for Reggie Jackson and Jeremy Lamb to get some meaningful playtime is probably a good thing.
 

Araxen

Golden Baronet of the Realm
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Twolves already have their first injury and pre-season games haven't even started yet. /facepalm
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Slaythe

<Bronze Donator>
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Twolves already have their first injury and pre-season games haven't even started yet. /facepalm
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Seriously. It's like god doesn't want us to keep Kevin Love on this team.

My excitement level is a little tempered from last year. I was pretty ecstatic opening last year with playoff hopes then all the injuries and I honestly wasn't even attending games by the end of the year. What a gut punch.

Pretty similar expectations this year. I think we'll miss AK a lot, but Martin gives us that reliable wing scoring we've so desperately needed the past couple seasons. All in all if we stay healthy we'll be in the 6-8 range. But there's going to be competition there so more injuries and we'll slip out again. Also wonderful that we'll lose our lottery protected first rounder in the deepest draft of the past decade if we make the playoffs.

Scared of watching Corey Brewer play significant minutes. He's better now than he was his first run in MN but he still isn't very good.
 

Hippos

Silver Knight of the Realm
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First real game of the pre-season tips off now, Bulls vs Pacers. Rose and Granger both playing. Crown the Heat.
 

Loser Araysar

Chief Russia Correspondent / Stock Pals CEO
<Gold Donor>
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I dont think we need to even have a season. Just give Bulls the trophy.
 

Djay

Trakanon Raider
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I got League Pass for the first time ever this year. Kinda hoping the Raptors blow it up instead of fighting for the 6-8 seed. Make a run at Wiggins/Parker/Randle.